Monorail conveyer for annular kilns



Jan; 26, 1932. L

MONOHAIL CQNVEYER FOR ANNULAR KILNS Filed may 29. 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 26, 1932. L. L. LADD 1 MONORAIL CONVEYER FOR ANNULAR KILNS Filed May 29. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 26, 1932. L A

MONORAIL CONVEYER FUR ANNULAR KILNS Filed May 29. 1929 s Sheets-Sheet s Patented Jan. 2 19 2 e LESTERL. nAnn oF nocxron'r; ILLINOIS i nonoi'mrn lconvnynn non ANNULAR KILNS The main objects of this" invention are to providean improved form of conveyer "for an annular kiln ;to provide acon veyer of this kind having an improved expansibleancl contractable' table for supporting the Wares; to

provide improved meclianism forsupperting drivingtsaid conveyer; and to provide improved means forgui'ding said conveye'r in a'circular'path, I Q 1o i 1 Anfillustr "tive embodiment of this inven tion is shown in the accompanying draim ings, wherein j I Figure 1 is top planoffan improved mono-railconveyer in an annular kiln, show i 15 ing certainportionsin aoaedeuume;

"Fig.2 isasideelevation thereof. f 3 is anenlarged fragmentarytransverse sectiontaken onthe line3 3'of Fig. 1.

Fig.4 isaif vertical section taken Fig. 5 is a transverse ve 1 rtical sectioiitaken on; the lihe5'-5 offFigglh A y f; Eiglfiflis a fragmentary top plan of the igi 'l is a fragmentary side elevation of a the eonveyers showing partof the'super struc? ture Whichsupports the Wares. H p p i ig. 8 isE'afldetail in section, taken on the line t 8 8 of Fig.4. 4

comprises an arcuate furnace through which thevvares are conveyed slowly by an im proved annular conveyer having a monorail supported on a plurality of wheels, fcercular path. Improved sand sealslarelocated onrespectively opposite sides of the con veyen se as to permit normal atmospheric conditions tomprevail below the. conveyer Where the metal supporting Wheels and bearings are located. ThesuppQrtingWheeIS and bearings of this improved 'kiln are 3111;10-

cated infp'ts Where theyarereadilyyaceese sible for repairorreplacement. p p i theconstruction shown, the furnace in-ti eludes awfiring chamber ilacommunicating with a pair of arcuatetunnel wings 2 and 3.

support a table formed ofseparate segments tai n of which are power driven forfrictiona ly ri i l g ece v'eye c along. QfiX -Ci qthe ceramic wares; u y p u u u 1 Secured to thesideedges of the table seg-; n Heatlmaybeappliedto the furnace by gas 1929. Serial No, 366,959.

burners or any other suitable means located Within the firing chamber 1. The furnace comprisesa refractory roof 4 supported on brick Walls 5, Which arebuilt on a concrete base; formed of "floor slabs 6 supported on spacedpiersi7. In constructing the kiln, the floorlslabs 6*are preferably placed at ground level'and the ground is excavated Within and below the kiln to permit access to pits 8 located between the piers 7. Tlie walls of the furnace define a trough 9, through which the improved conveyer travelsQ up V a 1 The inner edgesof thefloor slabs G extend inwardlyqbeyond the Wa1lsf5 and support shields 10;,Whi ch project 'upwardly to form the inner? Walls of channels 11,Which are filled with sand orfother suitable sealing ma-. terial to prevent the heat in the upperpart of the trough 9 from reachingthe pits 8, in 70 7 ,Which thebearings and driving mechanism are located. i i :[Thef extremities of the tunnel Wings 2 and Bare-open so as to provide an inlet 12 and anout1et 13"respectively for the conveyer. The Wing 2 has a chimney 14 adjacent the inlet -l2,fithrough whichlpart of the moistureladen air may beexhausted from the furnace. i l 111K h construction herein shown, the kiln In the construction illustrated, theiinproved conveyer comprises an annular beam 15, on :Which is rigidly mounted a plurality ofradially disposed channel bars 16, which 17 One edge of each of the table segments 17 is loosely supported on a lap plate 18 rigidly secured tothe adjacent segment, as

clearly -shownin Fig. 4. With this improved construction, the table is permitted to expand and contract underthevariations intemperatureto Whichthe conveyer is subjectech V i Loosely supported on the table segments 17, is a plurality of refractory slabsl9, which project laterally into recesses 20 formed in; the furnace Walls 5. A temporary super structure 21 of suitable refractory material may be built on the slabs 19flfor supporting merits l7, areangle bars 22, which support 109 in the event that the conveyer is suddenly depending aprons 23 extending downwardly into the sand seals. The aprons 23 of each table segment 17 are independent of those of other segments so as not to interfere with the expansion and contraction of the table.

Mounted on the lower flange of the beam 15, are clips 24 which support a plurality of cleats 25, to which is rigidly secured an annular mono-rail 26.

In the form shown, the improved mechaare embedded in the floor slabs 6. The bearings for the rollers which arelocated outside of the furnace are mounted on suitable foundations 31.

. In the construction shown, the bearings 28 comprise castings having bosses 32 provided with openings 33 for receiving bolts 34, which are secured to the supports 29 and foundations 31. Threaded on the bolts 34,.are nuts 35, which engage the upper and lower edges of the bosses 32 and which permit the desired vertical adjustment of the bearings. The openings 33 are elongated, as shown in Fig. 8, so as'to permit the desired lateral ad-i justment of the bearings.

Supportedon each of the bearings 28,is a pair of bolts 36, on which are journaled idlers 37 which engage respectively, opposite sides of the mono-rail 26 for guiding the conveyer. 7 v g V I In the form shown, two diametrically opposed rollers are fixed on drive shafts, 38, which are driven by suitable driving units. Each of the driving units preferably comprises a motor 39, reducer 4:0 and variable reducer 41. The two driving units are independent of each other and each one is capable of driving the conveyer without the assistance of the other unit.

In operation, the conveyeris rotated very slowly. The ceramic wares are loaded onto and removed from the conveyer at points outside of the furnace and, due to theannular form of the kiln, the operation may be 0011f tinuous.

Inasmuch asthere is no positive connection between. the conveyer and the driving mechanism, no injury will result to the kiln stopped by a jam of the wares. In such event, the wheels 27 will merely slip onthe mono-rail 26. In the event of a jam within the furnace, the conveyer may be quickly rotated in a reverse direction by reversing the driving mechanism.

In this improved construction, there is no appreciable vibration, because the conveyer travels continuously. In kilns, such as the straight tunnel type, where the conveyers are repeatedly started and stopped, the vibration damages the ceramic wares to a considerable extent. With applicants improved kiln there is also considerable saving in the cost of maintenance, because the burners are operated continuously and there is no necessity for the objectionable cooling and reheating of the furnace.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and de scribed, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims:

I claim:

1. 'A conveyer for annular kilns comprising an annular table movable along a circular horizontal path, an annular mono-rail on the lower side of said table, a plurality of rollers journaled below said conveyer in position to support said mono-rail, a plurality of idlers engaging one side of said mono-rail for guiding said conveyer, and mechanism for'driving one of said rollers to provide a friction drive for said conveyer.

, 2. A conveyer for annular kilns comprising an annular table movable along a circular horizontal path, an annular mono-rail on the lower side of said table, a plurality of rollers journaled below said conveyer onhori zontal axes and supportingsaid mono-rail, a plurality of idlers j ourn aled on vertical axes and engaging'respectively opposite sides of said mono-rail for guiding said conveyer, and mechanism for driving one of said rollers for frictionally actuating said conveyer.

3. A conveyer for annular kilns comprising an annular table movable along a circular horizontal path, an annular mono-rail on the lower side of said table, a support located below said conveyor, a plurality of bearings mounted on said support, rollers journaled on said bearings on horizontal axes for supportin said mono-rail, and a plurality of idlers journaled on said bearings on vertical axes for engaging respectively opposite sides of'said mono-rail to guide said conveyer.

4. A conveyer for annular kilns comprising an annular rail, a plurality of arcuate plates supported on said rail independently of one another to form an annular table, means on one end of each of said plates adapted to slidably support an opposed end of an adjacent plate whereby said table is adapted to expand and'contract under temperature variations, and a plurality of refractory slabs supported on said table.

conveyer comprising an annular rollers journaled on saidbearings and supmono-railmovable along a horizontal annular path, an annular table supported on said mono-rail, a plurality of vertical posts located below said mono-rail, a pluralit of bearings mounted on said posts and ad ustable vertically independently of one another,

ortin said mono-rail idlers 'ournaled on said bearings onvertioal axesin position to engage said mono-rall for gulding 1ts-1nove-' ment, and means for Vertically shifting said hearings to adjust the height of said rollers and idlers. V

6. A conveyer for annular kilns comprising an annular table movable along a eircular horizontal path, an annular structural steel shape secured to the lower sideof said 7 table, an annular mono-rail secured to the lower face of said structural steel shape, a support located below said eonveyer, bearings on said support, guide rollers mounted on saidbearings for engagin the sides of saidqmono-rail, rollers on sai bearings for supporting said mono-rail, and means for driving certain of said last-mentioned rollers tofriotionallyactuate said conveyer.

Signed at Lockport this 24th day of May 1929. i X

i LESTER L. LADD. 

